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Published: October 22nd 2008
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21/07/08
Dada (uncle) Tola. Man I loved this guy me and Andrea wanted to adopt him!19/07/08 The provodnitcha reminded me alittle bit of pippi long stockings without the braids. She helped me put my multitude of bags and suitcases into the train. While I was loading things under the beds and onto the shelves my other bunk mates came and introduced themselves. Julia was there with her husband Viktor and the other lady there was Marina. They were from near Moscow in the prigord or in Sydney we would probably call that greater Sydney (although Moscow city is more closer to the size of Greater Sydney then it is to Sydney City). Well Marina was from Prigord, Julia and Viktor were about 400km from Moscow.
It was actually really hot when we initally got onto the train and everyone was walking around fanning themselves. As you can see in the picture it went up to 32C on the themometre and many were complaining it that it felt more like 35C. While my room mates went to lunch I had some of my lunch including some of the delicious cherries I had brought narf narf narf narf. After my room mates came back they told me that they were all friends in this whole carriage and
19/07/08
The train was like a sauna when we got on. About 32 degrees - most of the russians were walking around practically in thier undies. also the next two carriages were composed of a whole bunch of rail road employees who were on holiday together for 2 weeks. They gave me some tea and some of the cherries they had and I stood by the window and watched the beautiful birch trees. I felt like I could watch them for ages (and I did for about 20 minutes). I also saw these cute wooden houses which looked to me like dachyas but Viktor told me that they were more likely houses people lived in.
Another lady came over to me and invited me to their kupe for tea. I went to their kupe, which involved drinking beer and eating salted fish, followed by tea and delicious desert called ziphir. It was like a marshmallow cross meringue - Delicious. That's right I know you care Liz. In the carriage was Ira, Pasha (Paul), his mum and Lidaya Anatolivna. We exchanged photos about each of our journeys. I went back to my bunk and went to bed.
20/07/08 The next morning Marina and Julia went to breakfast. This was included in their tour. I had some noodles for breakfast. Julia and Marina came back and
19/07/08
One of our first stops was Winter. we had tea with waffles and cakes. Soon it was time to have lunch - so I decided to join the Swedes for lunch. Afterwards the train stopped. I went outside to join the people from my carriage and Lidya Anatolivna said I had to go back to my kupe because she had brought me back some lunch from the lunch kart. It was delicious - mashed potatos and beef. After my second lunch and writing in my diary I talked with the gang from my kupe. I had some diner and my train roomies ended up bringing me desert from the breakfast kart. In the evening we sang and listened to one of the guys playing guitar. We even sang the Beatles - let it be as a tribute to me the only English speaker there. Went to bed at12:30am but wound the clock back 2 hours so was it 10:30pm???
21/07/08 Woke up around 7:50am for the stop. Julia and Marina said I should go have breakfast in the cart cause Julia did not feel like it. I joined them for breakfast and can I say the yogurt here is delicious. The dairy products here are the
19/07/08
At the train station winter. best - I don't know if I said this in a previous blog. We had tea and porridge and bread with meat and cheese slices (something I noticed which is on alot of Russian tables at breakfast time. After breakfast I played cards with Julia, Anastasia and Marina. We played Idiot - Julia and Anastasia versus me and Marina. At lunch they invited me to the lunch kart again. They said I should just eat with them all the time because the girl that was traveling in my spot had become sick last minute and cancelled her ticket and stayed at Irkutsk. They said I could just take her place at lunch and no one would probably notice.
Thinking back on it now I was so thankful the bus had arrived late and I didn't get to buy the tickets in advance because I wouldn't have ended up on one of the best train journeys ever.
Lunch was great it was grechniya kasha (I forget the word in English) - which I actually like now - I know grandad will be happy to know this. After lunch I got pulled into the Swedes cabin to play cards. We
19/07/08
Just in case you were wondering walking infront of a moving train is forbidden. played this game nigger and president and another guy in thier cabin joined in - his name was Sasha and I acted like the translator between them. Sasha was 30 who was on his way to Omsk to meet his family. After the games I went back to our kupe.
Had dinner in the dinner kart and my dinner companions told me about the disco that would be on that night. On the way back to the kupe the Swedes grabbed me again for translator services. I spoke with Sasha for them. There was a new guy in their Kupe - dada (uncle) Tola. He was 75 and on his way to visit his nephew who was turning 50 and had paid for his uncle to come and see him. Dada Tola told me how he had lost alot of money during the 1990's with the inflation of the rouble - which were his 12 year life savings. He had saved 17,000R at the time which would have brought him 12 Mercedes. He even quit smoking and drinking during this period to save up all the money. Now he earned 6,000R a month ($300AUD) and he never got an
20/07/08
Another hectic train rides near us. respect off young people in fact may did not want anything to do with him. I felt sorry for him. Me and Andrea fell in love with him - he was gorgeous he reminded me of the guy from Geri's game
I love it. Where Geri wears the glasses. Especially when he smiles with the big eyes. Anyways my kupe roomies came past and said we have to come to the disco.
So I told the Swedes, Sasha and Dada Tola to come along. Sasha didn't feel like he was invited to go but I grabbed his hand and said nonsense and dragged him along.
We got to the club and grabbed a beer. Suddenly the women that were already there noticed Dada Tola. They said
"God where did this grandpa come from?"
Everyone pounced on him to try and get a dance with the man of the night. And that's pretty much how the night went for him he hardly got a chance to escape let alone breathe - whilst each woman at the disco waited for her turn to dance with him. He managed to sneak away at about 2 or 3 in the morning and
20/07/08
Train stop Krasnoyarsk. I saw him later at about 8am when he was going to get off and he was so grateful telling me although I might, he would not forget that night for a very long time. He got off at Krasynoyarsk.
Anyway as the night wore on people got more drunk. Eventually Ben and Andrea (the Swedes) disappeared. I danced a fair bit with Jean (Marina's husband) who kept finding any excuse to have a drink. I danced with Viktor too (Julia's husband). I met some boys from the bar Pasha (who was 18 and a dj in Moscow), Maxim (22 who was a gymnast and had an awesome body) and some other guy who was 22. Anyway I tried to leave but Anastasia was like wait and finish the vodka off with me. I said no more drink but she insisted, It was 4:30am and Pasha was trying to get everyone to leave so he could clean up. Me and Jean managed to sneak away and by the time I was getting into bed in my carriage the sun was coming up.
22/07/08 For some reason I woke up at 8am for the stop. We discussed last nights
20/07/08
at Krasynoyarsk station. shenadigans. After this went to breakfast. There was ziphir there too and I said how amazing I thought the ziphir tasted. After breakfast as a sort of parting present to me everyone had saved the ziphirs from their table and gave it to me so I had about 16 ziphirs! It was so sweet and they said I could give some to the swedes if I liked. I payed them a visit after breakfast and gave them some ziphir's. Then I went to bed until about lunch time. Lunch was delicious and then I went and spent some time with Ben and Andrea. We stopped at a stop somewhere were people were trying to sell us these crystal things like Chandeliers and mini statues. I had a lot of nostaligia cause it reminded me of China! At dinner time Lidaya Anatolivna told us how she was having regrets cause she had brought a chandelier and didn't know if she was ripped off or not. Everyone was consoling her at dinner time. After dinner I packed and played cards with Marina, Jean and Julia. Everyone was quite sad about leaving and Marina even cried. I didn't blame her - I could
20/07/08
This was an antique style train probably from the war. It reads - everyone for the front, everyone for victory! see how they had turned into one big family from this train ride for the past 2 weeks - I had grown really attached to them the past 3.5 days.
I felt privileged to have shared this journey with them. We arrived at Moscow station and I waited nervously for my cousin Nadia to arrive.
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non-member comment
correcting phonems ;^)
it should sounded softer: not Dada Tola, but rather Dyadya Tolya or may be ja? [but it looks like a german 4me]; zephyr?